Former Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick details key change he's seen in Marcel Sabitzer's game following his loan move to the Red Devils
Former Manchester United coach Ralf Rangnick was impressed with Marcel Sabitzer's performance during Austria's 4-1 win over Azerbaijan on Saturday.
Sabitzer was in top form for Austria during their win, scoring twice and setting up another goal, and received praise from his current national team boss, Rangnick. Speaking on the midfielder's performance after the game, Rangnick said:
"He has a lot more confidence than when he was at Bayern. Nobody dropped out in this game, but of course you can say that Sabi was the difference player after scoring two goals and preparing one."
Sabitzer is currently on loan at Old Trafford but is widely expected to join the Red Devils on a permanent basis from Bayern Munich come summer.
The 29-year-old had an impressive start to the 2022/23 campaign for the German champions but eventually lost his place to the likes of Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich, paving the way for a loan move in the winter window.
His display against Azerbaijan was also praised by his teammates, most notably by teammate Christoph Baumgartner. The Hoffenheim man said after the game,
"[Marcel] Sabi's performance was outstanding, you can’t say it any other way. He is simply a player with a lot of quality. I think the change did him good. He is literally flourishing, is very, very good."
The on-loan Bayern Munich midfielder still appears to be settling into life as a Manchester United player, having appeared just five times in the league since his move. Sabitzer recently came up clutch for the Red Devils as he popped up with a crucial second goal in their 3-1 comeback win over nine-man Fulham in the FA Cup.
Mitrovic red card puts Manchester United transfer in jeopardy
On the subject of the Red Devils' recent 3-1 win over the Cottagers, it has been reported that Aleksandar Mitrovic could be off Manchester United's transfer target list on the back of his red card offense.
The Serbia international was given a direct red card after barging into referee Chris Kavanagh during their heated encounter at Old Trafford. His teammate Willian Borges was initially sent off for a handball offense on the goalline, and Mitrovic couldn't hide his frustration at the referee's decision.
12 - Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored 12 goals in 25 games across all competitions this season, his most in a single season while playing for a side in the Premier League (previous-best was 11 goals in 39 apps in 2018-19). Proven. https://t.co/LOa2H3uqYf
Fulham manager Marco Silva also saw the red mist during a controversial period at Old Trafford as Manchester United decimated their one-goal defecit.
Sabitzer scored his first goal for the club after Bruno Fernandes' penalty, following which the captain for the night added further gloss to the scoreline with a late third.